Container with opener



.5 w a. F w 4 Nov. 9, 1943. w. F. PUNTE CONTAINER WITH OPENER Filed June 11, 1942 Patented Nov. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CONTAINER \VITH OPENER William F. Puntc, Passaic, N. J., assignor to Continental Can Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application June 11, 1942, Serial No. 446,668

Claims.

The invention relates generally to container structures, and more particularly to container structures of the type wherein the closure of the container is effected through the medium of a plug frictionally mounted in the container mouth or opening, and it seeks to provide a novel container structure wherein is included a plug lifting lever of novel form which is so mounted as to be permanently retained on the container and yet be free to be moved about the circumference thereof so that its lifting force can be applied under any selected portion of the plug.

Container structures of the character stated including attached plug lifter levers have been known heretofore, but many of these structures have been found impractical because of the complicated construction and manner of mounting of the levers, because of the fixed attachment of the levers at some one position on the plug or container top circumference, or ineffectiveness in operation because of faulty construction and mounting. It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a structure which is simple in form and can be inexpensively produced, and which is devoid of all of the above mentioned disadvantages.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel container structure of the character stated including a simple form of plug lifting lever which is freely movable about the seambead at the top of the, container and yet is permanently attached thereto so that the container may be opened and rescaled repeatedly with the lever always available for opening purposes at any-selected position about the circumference of the container.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a container structure of the character stated a lifter lever including a flat body disposed to lie flatly against the exterior of the container with an upper end portion directly beneath the seam bead at the top of the container and having an offset extension loosely turned over said bead and terminating in a wide flat lever portion beneath the plug flange so that the lever can be slid about to any selected position on said bead and'then swung laterally, or in the general plane ofsaid flat body, and about the fulcrum of one edge of said wide lever portion to cause the wide lever portion to lift the plug.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lifter lever of the nature stated in which the offset is angularly disposed with relation to the main lever body and the seam bead so-as to provlde a triangular clearance which facilitates swinging of the lever to the plug lifting position without disturbing permanent loose attachment of the lever to said bead.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more fully understood by following the detailed description, the appended claims and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation and part vertical cross section of a container embodying the invention. I

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross section taken at the position of the plug lifting lever.

Figure 3 is an enlarged face view illustrating the lever in its normal position.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 illustrating the lever swung to its plug lifting position.

In the example of embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, the container comprises a body 5 having the usual bottom closure 6 affixed thereto. A top ring 'l is secured to the upper end of the body, as by a double rolled seam 8 which projects outwardly from the body in the usual manner as is clearly illustrated in Figure 2. The top ring terminates inwardly in a downwardly turned flange 9 defining an opening l0 adapted to frictionally receive the closure plug generally designated ll.

The closure plug includes an outwardly directed flange I2 preferably folded under in the form of a reinforcing bead l3, and the generally vertical wall of the plug preferably is offsetas at M so that the depth of insertion of the plug in the opening 9 will be definitely limited so as to provide a space beneath the plug bead I3 and above the top surface of the top ring I.

A lifter lever is provided and in this illustration is generally designated It. The lever preferably is shaped from a single piece of fiat strap metal including a flat body portion l6 adapted to lie flat against the outer surface of the container body 5 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. At its lower end the body It includes an outwardly bent finger piece ll, and at its upper end and at one side thereof the main body 15 terminates in an abutment shoulder [8 of limited width and disposed directly beneath the outwardly directed seam bead 8 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. To one side of the abutment shoulder I8 the lever is provided with an angularly disposed, offset l9 forming a triangular clearance 20 beneath the seam bead 8 at that serving to dispose the body extension 2| against the outer surface of the seam bead 8. At its upper extremity the extension 2| is bent loosely over the seam bead 8 as at 22, thus causing the upper end of the lever to loosely embrace and conform to the shape of the seam bead. Thus the lever canbe slid circumferentially about the seam bead and yet cannot be removedtherefrom because of the engagement of the abutment shoulder I 8 beneath the bead.

The leverextends downwardly inwardly of the seam bead, as at 24, and is then turned inwardly to present a wide lifter extremity 25 inthe space intervening the plug bead l3 and the upper surface of the top ring I.

The clearance 20 provided by the angular off setting of the leverextension H as at [9 makes it possible to swing the flat lever body I6 edgewise in the manner illustrated in Figure 4. Such swinging of the lever will tilt the wide lifter flange 25 beneath the plug flange I3 and cause the plug to be lifted in the manner illustrated in Figure 4. Since the lever can be freely slid about the circumferenceof the seam bed 8 in the manner hereinbefore described, this lifting function can be performed at any place about the circumference of the container.

While it is preferred that the oflset l9 be angu-* larly disposed in the particular manner illustrated in Figure 3 so that it will generally parallel the bead when the lever is swung to its lifting position as illustrated in Figure 4, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular angular relation shown, but rather comprehends the provision of any form of clearance so'related to the abutment shoulder I8 as to permit the edgewise swinging of the lever necessary to cause the lever portion 25 to properly lift the plug.

' flange overlying the ring in spaced relation, and

a plug lifting lever including a wide fiat portion underlying the plug flange, a portion loosely extending over the seam bead, a main body depending flatwise in close proximity to the outer surface of the container body beneath the seam bead, and a shoulder abutment portion engageable under the seam bead in position for cooperating with the portion extending over the: seam bead in preventing removal of the lever while permitting movement thereof to selected positions about the circumference of the container, said shoulder abutment portion being offset with respect to said portion loosely extending over the bead and terminating at a point in substantially vertical alignment with an edge thereof, whereby said main body is swingabie edgewise to tilt-said wide flat portion and effect a lifting of the plug.

2. A container including abody, a top ring having a closure plug receiving opening therein, a seam bead projecting outwardly from the top extremity of the body and attaching the ring to the body, a, closure plug frictionally engaging in 2,338,886 side of the abutment shoulder l8, said oflset said opening and having an outwardly extending flange overlying the ring in spaced relation, and a plug lifting lever formed from a single piece of flat strap metal to include a wide flat portion underlying" thev plug flange, a portion loosely extending over the seam bead, a main body d pending flatwise in close proximity to the outer surface of the container body'beneath the seam bead, and a shoulder abutment portion engageable under the seam bead in position'for cooperating with the portion extending over the seam bead in preventing removal of the lever while permitting movement thereof to selected positions about the circumference of the container, said shoulder abutment portion being offset with respect to said portion loosely extending over the bead and terminating at a point in substantially vertical alignment with an edge thereof, whereby said main body is swingable edgewise to tilt said wide flat portion and effect a lifting of the D1118.

3. A container including a body, a top .ring having a closure plug receiving opening therein,

a seam bead projecting outwardly from the top extremity of the body and attaching'the ring to the body, a closure plug frictionall engaging in said opening and having an outwardly extending flange overlying the ring in spaced relation, and a plug lifting lever formed from a single piece of flat strap metal to include a flat main. body portion lying flatwise against the container body beneath the seam bead and having a limited width abutment shoulder at one side thereof and engaging under said bead, an offset portion-at theother side thereof extending upwardly adjacent to'and loosely passing .over the bead and providing a clearance beneath the bead at the side oflthe abutment shoulder to permit edgewise swinging of the body portion'without displacing the abutment shoulder fromunder the bead, and a wide flat portion underlying the plug flange and engageable therewith when the body portion is swung edgewisefor'li'fting said plugs 4. A container including a body, a top rin having a closure plug receiving opening therein; a seam bead projecting outwardly from the top extremity of the body and attaching theringto the body, a closure plugfrictionally engaging in said opening and-having an outwardly extending flange overlying the ring in spaced relation; and

a plug lifting lever formed from a single pieceof flat strap metal to includea flat main body portion lying flatwise against the container body beneath the seam bead and havinga limited width abutment shoulderv at one side thereof-and engaging under said head, an angularly disposed offset portion at the other side thereof extending upwardly adjacent to and loosely passing'ove'r the bead and providing a triangularly shaped-clearance beneath the head at that sideoftheabutment shoulder to permit edgewise swinging of the body portion without displacing the abutment shoulder from under the bead, and a wide flat portion underlying the .Jplug flange and engageable therewith when the body portioniis swung edgewisefor liftingsaid plug.

5. A container including a body,-a top ring having aclosure plug receiving Lopenin'g therem,

a seam bead projecting outwardly from the top extremity of the'body and attaching the ring to the body, a closure plug frictionally engaging in said, opening and having an outwardly. extending flange overlying thering in spaced relation,

,and a plug lifting lever including a, wideqflat flange underlying the plug. flange, a portion loose,

ly extending over the seam bead, andta'main body depending fiatwise in close proximity to the outer surface of the container body beneath the seam bead, said main body having a portion underlying the seam bead in opposition to the portion extending over the seam bead and including an abutment shoulder in position for cooperating with said portion extending over the seam bead in preventing removal of the lever while permitting the movement thereof to selected positions about the circumference of the container, one said portion having a part bearing angular relation to the seam head so as to provide a clearance permitting sidewise swinging of the lever main body effective to cause the wide fiat flang to lift the plug.

WILLIAM F. PUNTE. 

